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Yes I can say there is no God: An open letter to atheists

I frequently run into atheists who spout the politically correct dictum that we cannot KNOW there is no god; we see no evidence for one, so we believe that no gods exist — but we remain agnostic to the possiblity because we have integrity and are openminded to true evidence, should it arise.

Well, I think that’s just bullsh*t coated with a dressing of the fear of being accused of being an absolutist... (This is by Carol Everhart Roper. It continues here)

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Permalink Reply by Rayray on February 22, 2010 at 7:04pm

"the set of physical laws that govern the universe"
This is the same god that Einstein regularly spoke of.

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Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on February 23, 2010 at 2:54pm

emotionally unsatisfying

And this god wouldn't be anthromoporphic: A loving god, a jealous god, an angry god.

Wouldn't need the sacrifices, the praying, the singing, etc etc.

Certainly wouldn't have a son or heirs or other king-like qualities.

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Permalink Reply by Nougat on February 26, 2010 at 1:28pm

I can say that Superman doesn't exist. I can say that Zeus doesn't exist. These things are fairly strictly defined to have certain characteristics.

If I were to say, with certainty, that no god exists, that presumes that I have defined "god" strictly enough to be certain about its nonexistence. But "god" is not a thing that I define; it's a concept defined by other people.

I can also say that Allah and Yahweh don't exist. Those concepts are defined strictly enough for me to be certain about that. It would be silly for me to define a thing as existing, and then believe that it doesn't.

I can only respond to the claims of other people that their god(s) exist, and so far it seems obvious that those claims are incorrect.

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Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on February 27, 2010 at 8:29am

Superman is fantasy-- a super human being, a fictional heroic character.

God is supernatural-- a being beyond material definition or the rules of scientific inquiry or physical observation & measurement.

We can study religion scientifically as a social & cultural concept or religiosity as an individual psychological measurement....we can analyze from all sorts of additional angles and views.

But we can't analyze supernatural beings. This is a metaphysical question, isn't it? For myself, I certainly can't see the point in having deep emotional attachments to something that doesn't exist in my scope of physical senses or cognitive abilities, limited as they are!

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Permalink Reply by Michael on March 7, 2010 at 1:41pm

It has been claimed that it is impossible to prove a negative and it is therefore possible that maybe god does exist, but:

It has been proved there are no even prime numbers greater than two.

AC Grayling wrote: Think how easily you could prove there are no coins in your piggy bank.

I am 100% certain that the Tooth Fairy does not exist.

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Permalink Reply by AgeOfAtheists14 on March 9, 2010 at 7:41pm

It's called being a 'strong' atheist from what I've heard.
I'm liking the sound of 'magical sky creature investigator' hugh? what?

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Permalink Reply by Matt on March 15, 2010 at 4:18am

I read the best answer to this on this very site - someone stated that they are 100% *satisfied* that there are not russells teapot, and/or god. I am very happy with that answer - thanks, poster whose name I forgot! It is brief, exact, and to the point.

We must be openminded, because if we are not, then we are no better than believers who put faith before evidence. Maybe one day, clear and compelling evidence of the existence of the supernatural will emerge!

But we also have to make sure that we do not give the opinion that we are agnostic - a certain type of religious mind sees an agnostic as a believer minus religious education. There is no reason to believe in russells teapot, or god.